Of Health and Heroes
by TheNorwegianLegion
Summary: AU. All Might never lost the Sludge Villain - so Midoriya never became All Might's protege. Despite the world being against him, he still took the Entrance Exam, but with Nezu's intervention, he is unexpectedly accepted by Recovery Girl to become her assistant and disciple! Even without a Quirk, Midoriya learns that there are other ways to save people with a smile.
1. Prologue

There were days that Chiyo Shuzenji felt three times her age - and considering she was well past her prime years, she knew it wasn't a good sign if she was feeling that way. It wasn't as if she was doing intentional harm to her body. Her job was, and would always be strenuous, leading her to wonder just how many years she'd accidentally burnt off of her life.

In a weird sort of way, her Quirk made her worry more about her own health, since she couldn't cure herself quite the same as she could someone else. Time was the only salve she had, aside from the modern marvels of medicine at her disposal. They worked wonders compared to history's documented medicine, but in the end, nothing worked quite like her Quirk - and no medicine stacked up to the amazing medical Quirks that existed beyond her own.

But age was impossible to heal. It was impossible to change. And her age was crawling up into the number where a majority of people - not just heroes - retired. Her own bones ached with each passing day, and her gait had deteriorated considerably from previous fractures, paired with her somewhat rapidly worsening arthritis. Her cane - once a tool she had to help distribute her healing - had become a crutch she used for ambulation everywhere, and it quietly concerned her with every rise and fall of the sun.

It wasn't because she was closer to the end than she'd ever been - no, it wasn't because of that. Rather, she feared for the safety of all prospective heroes at U.A. and what would become of the academic course once she retired.

After all, it was only because of her presence that the school was able to perform such reckless and dangerous examinations in the first place. Her Quirk, aided by her knowledge of medicine, gave her the exact combination she (and the school board) needed in order to heal the injuries of the students, as result of the blatantly disregarded limitations of the human body.

_Plus Ultra_, after all, demanded sacrifice. And nobody believed her when she said that sometimes, there was such a thing as too much self-sacrifice.

Practically falling into her chair, she let out a heavy sigh as she stared at the mounds of paperwork sitting on her desk. Immunization records, non-compliance forms from other students, dietary restrictions, previous medical history charts, HIIPA forms - all blending together to make one great disaster that would surely take the majority of her time until the school year actually began.

And that didn't even include the medical write-up of all the incidents that had just occurred during the Entrance Exam! She felt a headache beginning to develop as she briefly replayed all the different injuries that the prospective Hero Course students had racked up - and the was excluding the several Support Course students that had a malfunction with their designs, resulting in minor burns and electrocution.

It was going to be another long year, she admitted reluctantly to herself.

_'Maybe it's time to let Nezu that it's coming time for my retirement... I can't do this forever, after all...'_

The Universe, as it seemed, had a read on her thoughts, as she heard the soft pattering of feet coming to a halt at her door. She glanced toward the noise, resisting the urge to snort, as she gazed upon the Principle of U.A. with a soft smile. The small man-like animal was all dressed up as normal, smiling his normal smile, all while having the familiar twinkle in his eye that suggested no-good.

His medical history was the only medical history she had no account of; he'd always preferred to remain elusive, citing that it was a tad more complex than anything she'd dealt with previously. It was slightly irksome, and a tad more offensive than he'd likely meant it to be, but as Recovery Girl had aged, she came to the realization that he was simply keeping himself safe from whatever fears he held within. Humanity had already betrayed him once, and he was too smart to give them another chance, no matter how well he came to know his staff.

And Chiyo didn't blame him in the slightest.

"Ah, Chiyo, it is good to see you still here - I was hoping to catch you before you departed!"

The not-so-young nurse's smile grew a tad larger, though remained soft, as she shift some papers aside to better see her superior. He walked into the room with poise, mindful of the documents he'd dumped on her desk earlier when she'd been working in the field on the incoming class. "With this much work, it's unlikely I'll get to leave anytime soon you know."

Nezu looked mildly apologetic, which she was sure was authentic. As maniacal as he could be, she rarely saw him do anything that wasn't necessary - including dishing out extraneous amounts of paperwork.

"I apologize, of course. We had a bit of a rougher year than other years. I support I'll have to ask Maijima to properly adjust the robots for further use; we wouldn't want anything significant injury to befall our students, now would we?" The way he spoke had once concerned Chiyo; that she would admit. However, she'd come to realize that it was simply his oddities in learning the Japanese language, and was probably a translation issue.

At least, she hoped it was.

"And I thank you for once again taking superb care of our prospective students. It is always a relief to see you work your wonder," Nezu said evenly, keeping his eyes - still twinkling - locked on her.

It was almost an unspoken dare - he was surely testing the water, trying to gauge her reaction. How he knew, she would never guess. In fact, he probably _didn't _know, but was simply testing her to see where she was at in life. She'd seen him do this very same thing to Eraser Head a few years back when his contract had run up. Part of the staff was under the firm belief he was going to leave - Nezu, however, remained calm in the face of the prospect, and continually tested his thoughts by soft inquiries, such as what he was doing now.

Was it manipulative? Perhaps, slightly. Was it smart? Absolutely. It kept him from outright putting an idea into someone's head. If they were already considering it, then it would be brought up. If not, they'd simply accept the compliment and move on, unless they were purposely hiding something.

"I'm sure it is," Chiyo replied, adding a touch of steel into her voice.

Nezu, to his credit, didn't even flinch. He knew her opinion on the matter - and how much she despised their teaching methods. Almost everyone knew.

The nurse sighed, adjusting her white coat as she did so, before gazing back down at Nezu. "You are here to see if I'm leaving soon, aren't you?"

He nodded once. "That I am." He walked over to a chair - reserved for meeting and conferences - and pulled it up so that it was directly across from her position at her desk. "It's not a secret that you're beginning to tire, you know. I always keep an eye out for my staff - you are all important to me. And I can see your expression."

"I'm getting old, Nezu. I'm not the young girl I once was."

He waited patiently, beckoning her to continue.

"I haven't decided on a date, yet. I'm probably still several years from retirement, if I'm being honest. Many of the Pro Heroes still require my presence, and it's not as if my Quirk exhausts myself - thankfully. But the paperwork, the check-ups, the constant attendance..." Chiyo sighed heavily. "I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to do this much longer."

Honestly speaking, she didn't really _want_ to retire. While the time off sounded appealing, she knew in her heart that she'd be drawn back after only a short time away. That's how it was for all heroes; there was no keeping them from where they belonged. It was often the allure of a family, or the tragedy of an injury that kept them from coming back after they announced retirement - in which Chiyo didn't have the first, and she prayed to avoid the second.

Plus, her concern and maternal instincts would always bring her back to U.A., since she already knew that no one knew restraint within the halls of the prestigious academy. Without her, she knew the entire building would probably go up in flames at the first available opportunity. And since she rather liked U.A. standing, it seemed like a symbiotic relationship would continue to suffice, so long as she had the ability to walk.

"Of course, of course... it is something that everyone meets. An ending is only fitting for those that have served tirelessly. Thus, I come to you with a proposition."

Chiyo's eyes would have narrowed, should she have been several years younger and more energetic. Instead, she simply kept her expression blank, and carefully watched Nezu's expression, studying for any sort of unforeseen tricks. He was no prankster, but he was every bit an innocent manipulator; given a crumb, he'd return for more.

From his pocket, Nezu withdrew a small disc - the same ones that were sent to the students determining their status of application at U.A. - and set it down gently on the desk. It flickered to life, portraying a diagram of a green-haired boy, as well as several screens where he was seen helping different students during the examination.

Chiyo frowned; she didn't readily recognize the boy, and typically, she remembered her patients. Either he hadn't been injured, or he hadn't revealed anything to the staff. Even so, she watched his movements, and dissected each decision he made on the field.

Truthfully, she had little care for who passed and failed - assuming they were genuine people, of course - and because of that, the only reason she watched was to determine who needed medical care, and how quickly they needed it. His decisions seemed... erratic. Several times, she watched him attempt to confront a robot, but ended up bailing out. However, he was the first to assist a fallen student, or making sure they appeared okay after any form of trauma.

At one point, he even ripped off a piece of his shirt beneath his jump suit, and formed a make-shift wrapping for a rather deep laceration - a laceration she remembered. It was messily cared for, but the pressure to the wound had reduced the oozing of the wound; at the time, she hadn't realized it was applied by another student.

The most stand-out thing he did involved the zero-point robot, and a girl who had been trapped under debris. He hadn't done anything spectacular - he simply ran to the girl and (with great effort) managed to move the rock that pinned her leg down. The robot, thankfully, was designed with sensory aspects to avoid any fatalities - at least in theory - and stopped short of crushing them with its treads, though it did loom over their bodies in an overly threatening manner.

"This is Izuku Midoriya. He's one of our applicants, _and_, he's someone that I watched very closely." Nezu calmly spoke, tacitly reviewing all the footage again, despite the numerous times he'd already poured his entire focus into each clip. Chiyo wasn't particularly sure what she was looking for, but she had a sneaking suspicion she knew where this was heading.

"He's Quirkless."

Chiyo raised an eyebrow, breaking the blank visage she'd held. "Oh my... such dedication. And, perhaps, a touch of naivety."

"More than a touch, I'd say. But nonetheless, impressive gall for someone so young; standing in the face of danger is no easy feat. While he failed to secure even a single combat point, he secured a hefty accumulation of rescue points, which brings us to our interesting predicament." Nezu smiled, his eyes finally revealing the intent within. "I would like to offer him admission, as an intern student under your name, in which he'd attend classes regularly, but also work with you specifically, in learning the field, as well as serving as your aide."

"Go on..." Chiyo simply said. There was no chance that the story ended with that; Nezu was by no means simple. And that story, while interesting, was too simple.

"All Might approached me, expressing regret over a conversation he and the boy had. By his account, he told the boy it was impossible to become a hero in his current state of Quirkless; he offered several alternative pathways, but it appears the boy was dead-set on this one. Imagine his surprise to see Mr. Midoriya here, of all places!"

A soft sigh escaped Chiyo's lips.

The boy deserved a better fate, she acknowledged silently. He clearly possessed the determination, but lacked many things that were unable to be found simply by dreaming. Without personally meeting him, she couldn't tell the exact type of person he was - whether it be delusional, but hopeful, or simply desperate. Regardless of that, it made her heart ache to see the pain on his face when the trial ended, because she and he both knew he had failed, and there was no way around that.

"To be told you can't be a hero... by the hero of everyone... that is a painful lesson. Many would have given up," Chiyo mumbled quietly. Then, Recovery Girl frowned as she considered Nezu's story. "And that large oaf - doesn't he consider the psychological damage that could do to someone?! Of course deluding them is bad, but destroying their reality is no better! Next you'll tell me that he left them on a roof or something!"

Nezu chuckled into his paw. "While I don't know if that's true, you can surely see my angle. All Might _does _feel guilt over this situation, and clearly, this boy has the makings of a hero."

"Many do - yet we turn them away, all the same," Chiyo pointed out evenly. She'd been around a long time - long enough to see the hundreds upon thousands of eager, prospective students that were turned away each year. "The business is a tough one; not everyone can make it."

"I agree," Nezu responded. "But, wouldn't you say that this boy had some medical promise?"

Chiyo wordlessly turned her attention back onto the screen, reviewing his actions once more. This time, she put more focus into his technique, reviewing his poise, attention to detail, and presentation up to the matter at hand. Her passive expression twisted into a thoughtful one; he lacked actual knowledge, but possessed makeshift, on-the-go skills that _could_ help him in the long run.

Without a healing Quirk, however, she wasn't really sure what good he would do versus anyone else.

"Before you say anything, let me commend his analytical abilities. He thoroughly impressed me with his dissection and rationality when it came to making choices, and was able to finish the exam in a commendable time compared to the majority of students, even compared to those with intelligence-based Quirks."

"And what of those who failed, or will be stuck in the General Education course, but have the same drive to become a hero?" Chiyo replied suddenly. She stared down at Nezu, expression void of anger or rage, but still possessed the stern edge she'd become famous for in her youth. "A child dealt an unlucky hand is unfortunate; but there are many students who would fare just as well in the position you're proposing."

"Many would; but I'm not referring to the masses, now am I?" Nezu's smile had changed. Somewhere, Chiyo felt the sympathy he had for the boy, and felt her own heartstrings tug for this Izuku Midoriya.

Truly, she felt bad for his circumstances; Quirkless individuals were a rare breed nowadays, and they lived difficult lives. Comparably, to be Quirkless was to be handicapped, within the norms of society. For this boy to have the dedication to still want to become a hero, despite his status, spoke volumes of his character - but it left Chiyo with concerns of his personality, still.

If he was simply delusional - unwilling to give up a dream he might never hold - what would she do with him? Admit him for psychiatric evaluation, where maybe someone would help him see his life could be in danger if he move forward? And what if she took him on as a protégé? Would she be enforcing his reckless approach?

"I am in agreement with you, Chiyo," Nezu said, breaking the elderly woman's train of thought. "There are many reasons to _not_ do this. Many will question myself, and by extension, they will question you. Is it because he is Quirkless? Is it because I feel sympathy for him? Many will ask; none will get an answer. I see one reason to do it, and in my mind, that one reason is all I need. He'll be a hero for many more than we consider."

Was that his end game? To create a hero for a minority group? Did that justify the trouble that could - and likely would - occur? Would it off-set the struggles that the boy would likely go through, given a chance to follow this arduous path?

"I, too, was questioned." Nezu spoke softly, his voice barely above a whisper. Yet, Chiyo heard him clearly in the deafening silence of the room. "Many questioned the decision to allow me an opportunity, when there were many others that could do the same, given my opportunity."

Chiyo looked back at the film - now repeating - and gave the image one last long glance, before she lowered her head and prepared herself.

"I'll give him a chance."

* * *

_**Hello everyone; welcome to the prologue of my first story! **_

_**The summary is simple: Midoriya never faced the Sludge Villain the second time - All Might detained him, and turned him in. Thus, Midoriya never got a chance to display his dedication, and never received OFA. He still tried for U.A. (because let's be honest, I think he still would), but things are different. With Nezu's intervention, Izuku is offered a chance to attend U.A. as a Quirkless student, but only under the tutelage of Recovery Girl! **_

_**It's an AU, of course, and it should be fun, you know? I don't know who I want to write for romances, to be honest, so please, leave me a comment/review if you have an opinion, or maybe I'll toss it in my poll. I don't know if I'll pick the most popular, I just want some opinions, is all. I also don't want people to stop reading because of that, so... it's tough.**_

_**Oh well. Thank you! And, uh, no flaming please. Thanks!**_

_**Right, I also don't own anything from here and onward; My Hero Academia is owned and written by someone much greater than I, and I stake no ownership in that.**_


	2. An Offer

Chiyo's first impression of the boy was... underwhelming, if she _had _to put a word to describe it.

It wasn't that she was expecting some large, well-defined teenager (she'd already seen him in action on the hologram replay, she knew _exactly _what she was getting in that regard), but she hadn't been expecting someone so... timid. His stutter, paired with his robotic movements made for an interesting combination as he invited her inside their cozy apartment hesitantly.

The boy's mother was no different, Chiyo later realized. She was sweet, and was a tad bit more animated, but she was still every bit as meek as he was; honestly, it was debatable which of the two Midoriya's was more nervous. There was no doubt that Izuku was Inko's son, either.

"Thank you for allowing us to visit on such short notice! You have a very nice home," Nezu said from Chiyo's side.

He, of course, had opted to tag along for the meeting. Not that Chiyo had any complaints about that; if the principle was to decide to implement something as drastic as assigning her a student aide, then he might as well be involved in knowing _exactly _the type of person he enlisted for her.

And so far... Chiyo begrudgingly admitted, the boy wasn't going to have it easy, no matter what happened to him.

Even if he was accepted at U.A., it was clear that he had a multitude of self-confidence issues, likely stemming from his Quirkless nature. There was little that could be done about that, short of enrolling him with Hound Dog for therapy sessions to get to the root of whatever was causing his problems. Which, she admitted, was something worth considering if he _was_ in fact accepted at U.A.

"T-thank you for coming...!" Inko said rigidly. Her posture clearly translated the nerves she felt, but it was impossible to tell if that was her baseline, or if perhaps she wasn't used to having high-profile guests over. After all - the principle of U.A. and one of the best medical heroes in the business could be a bit much for anyone. "Please... s-sit down!"

While Chiyo took things gently - understanding the discomfort the family likely felt - she also felt out of her element. Nezu, however, seemed every bit ready for everything, as he took the invitation in stride.

"Ah, thank you, thank you! That is a good idea; we have much to talk about." He turned his attention to Izuku, and smiled. "You must be Izuku, yes?"

The boy seemed to practically malfunction, but after a healthy few seconds, he responded enthusiastically. "Ye-yes! I am Izuku!"

Chiyo felt the desire to look directly at Nezu, wondering what sort of kid he was trying to lure into her teachings. Still, she sighed. She had said she would give him a chance, and thus, she still had every intention of waiting to see what kind of person he truly was. '_Besides_,' she admitted to herself, '_the boy is a bit nervous, but that doesn't mean anything. It's better than being someone completely reckless and breaking themselves at every opportunity.'_

In the time that sat between Inko's return - she had insisted about going to fetch everyone some tea - Chiyo took the chance to look discreetly around the living premise, trying to gain an edge on the type of person she was possibly inheriting as a student. There were several pictures on the wall, each one having Izuku featured in some way.

Many of them were parts of Izuku's childhood; and in a majority of them, he was in some sort of heroic uniform of pose. There was a rather adorable picture of him as a toddler, in which he was wearing an All Might onesie, posing energetically with a fist in the air, and a giant smile on his face. They made Chiyo's heart flutter ever-so-slightly.

It was good that he had positive memories, even if they were possibly few.

There were some other pictures of both Inko and Izuku, and Chiyo did her best to ignore the gaping presence in all of those photos. She hoped his father hadn't passed away, but it was always something possible. She didn't even consider if he had abandon the family - she refused to acknowledge it as a possibility, even _if_ it wormed its way into the back of her head. For some reason, it ached her heart even further to know that a boy already living an unfair life could have something even worse.

"M-may I... ask a question?" Izuku pipped up. The look on his face was a testament to how long he'd been wrestling around with the question.

Nezu beat her to the punch, and answered him warmly. "Of course you may!"

Slowly, he removed a small notebook from behind his back and flipped through several of the pages. While he had flipped rather quickly, Chiyo caught a brief glimpse at some of his notes, and she rose an eyebrow. It was difficult to tell what kind of notes he took, but they appeared scrawled and quickly written - as if he wrote them on the go.

"Can... you sign this?" He hesitated. "P-please?"

Chiyo glanced at Nezu, who gave her a brief smirk before he turned his attention back on Izuku, smiling as if nothing had happened. With a small bit of fanfare, he scribbled his name onto the paper, before offering Chiyo the pen. She stared at the writing utensil for one moment, before closing her eyes, smiling as she did so.

_'He may be a jittery boy, but... still.' _

With a flourish of her hand, the elderly nurse elegantly signed her name within the confines of the notebook, offering the pen back to Izuku as she finished. He giddily clicked the pen and smiled down at the two new signatures he had; eyes sparkling as he did so. Slowly - _gently_ \- he closed the notebook and set it aside, seemingly pleased with the developments.

"T-thank you!"

"I finished the tea!" Inko announced, struggling to carry in a tray with several cups, as well the mug containing the steaming liquid. Izuku, immediately, was on his feet, offering his mother his assistance - to which she graciously accepted. Nothing went unnoticed by Chiyo, who simply watched the exchange silently. "Please, help yourself."

Chiyo thanked the mother-son duo as she accepted a cup, as did Nezu, and for a moment, there was silence.

"I suppose we are to speak of why we have requested such a short notice conference," Nezu said offhandedly as he sipped his tea. He set his cup down, exhaling in contentedness as he did so. "To refresh, I am Nezu - the principle of U.A., and I might be a mouse, or a bear, or a dog... but that's not important."

Both Izuku and Inko blinked in confusion, faintly humming under their breath as they stared at the humanoid animal in confusion. Chiyo sighed, shaking her head, before picking up where her colleague (unfortunately) left off. "My name is Chiyo Shuzenji; I'm the school medic, and part-time hero Recovery Girl. I'm in charge of the student's medical files, as well as their health."

"And we're looking to have Izuku become her assistant."

"W-WHAT?!" Both Midoriyas exclaimed in surprise. Their eyes went wide and they looked between Chiyo - who was actively shaking her head at the sudden proclamation - and Nezu, who was smiling as if he'd said the most natural thing in the world. Tears quickly appeared in both of the greenette's eyes, and Inko quickly began blubbering.

"Y-y-you want m-my baby boy?"

"As a medical assistant, yes," Nezu replied evenly, picking up his tea once more to sip on. To him, it seemed like the most natural thing in the world. Chiyo almost wanted to smack the back of his head, but she decidedly held her hand, and exhaled, releasing her displeased thoughts with the heavy breath. "He has potential, I think."

The elderly nurse was tempted to wrinkle her nose, but held her stoic expression.

_Potential _implied he had a solid base of medicine. The implication that, if foreseen as expected, he could change the entire foundation of where medicine was lodged. It was a heavy word, and one she dared anyone to use in her presence. The boy in front of her was no child prodigy. He didn't exude ground-breaking knowledge that would reshape her - anyone everyone else's - world. His potential was all within his desire to _learn_. But he had no medical potential - at least, not yet.

What he had was _promise_. He could be shaped into the student she wanted - or he'd learn to brace his hands around her. After all, she'd been raised on rapped hands and scalding discipline. There was nothing about his exterior that spoke hardened discipline, but she also knew appearances could be deceiving.

And, if she was reading his educational history folder correctly, he had plenty more discipline than almost any of U.A's incoming students had.

"He's never studied a day of medicine in his life," Inko protested. She hadn't yet touched her tea, and something told Chiyo that the poor mother likely wouldn't. There was something more to their story, she saw.

It was almost a tether between the two. It made sense, of course. With no one to rely on, it was only natural that the younger Midoriya would begin to rely heavily on his mother. She was his confidant. She was likely the closest friend that he had, even though she was family by blood. It was all speculation, but something told Chiyo that there was plenty of truth in her thoughts.

Plus, there was plenty of justification to validate her claims.

"Most children don't. In fact, it'd be shocking - and almost unbelievable - if he had. But the boy has a good heart." Chiyo spoke evenly, letting her grandmotherly charm slip into her words. And she found herself sticking to her words. He did have a good heart - that much was obvious from his performance in the Entrance Exam.

Inko frowned, looking away with a guilty expression. She wrung her hands nervously, sniffling lightly as she glanced at Izuku, before biting her lip and looking away from him, too. "I know that... it's just dangerous."

"Life is dangerous," Nezu said seriously. "We live in a superhuman society, filled with superhuman people. Any single only of them could present a threat to you, and your son. Why, even myself! The fact that threats exist does not dissuade you from going outside though, now does it? Or from letting him try to apply at our school. Nothing - not even All Might himself - can rid the world of threats. But at U.A., we can teach him how to deal with those threats."

The small humanoid animal took one last sip of tea, finishing the beverage off, before sighing heartily. Pointedly, he looked directly into Izuku's eyes. "And, how to treat those affected by them."

"R-really...?" Izuku asked nobody in particular, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Really."

Nobody else spoke. The green-haired boy looked between Recovery Girl and Nezu, a small glimmer of hope shining in the depths of his emerald eyes. It almost made Chiyo feel like she was actually the boy's grandmother as she felt a warmth spread through her chest. It was as if any and all suffering the boy had endured has simply been... whisked away.

Perhaps he had what she was looking for, after all. He wasn't much - that was true. But then, she could remember what Toshinori looked like when he'd first begun attending U.A., and how plain he was at the time. There hadn't been a fiber of bounding muscle on the boy on the fateful day he stumbled into U.A.

Now, though?

"I... I fear for him. H-he's all I have. I'd..." Inko shuddered, a clearly foul thought dancing through her head. Izuku looked at her with concern lacing his features, but remained silent, his eyes swimming with unspoken thoughts. "I couldn't bare to lose him."

Nezu nodded evenly. "I cannot promise anything more than protection. Our school is a safe haven - a beacon that stands against all else. There are many schools, yes, and many of them are quite good at what they do. But there is no place like U.A."

"That's what I fear..." Inko mumbled. Her whispers were almost lost to her whimpering, but somehow, she managed to fumble her words out.

"Mom?"

Slowly, Inko turned to face her son, who looked at her with a surprising amount of resilience. The indecision from earlier had faded, and his expression appeared much more steeled than anything Recovery Girl had seen from his up until this point. In that moment, she felt herself wondering if the boy could surprise her.

"I..." His hands tightened in his lap. He looked at her, the waver from his voice gone. "I want to try! I want... to be a hero...!"

"I-Izuku..."

"I know that it's going to be hard... I know that there's so much to learn. I... I know that I have to work harder than everyone else, b-but..." If possible, his gaze grew even more determined. "I will do it! I'll become a hero!"

_Just like All_ _Might_.

Chiyo could feel the unspoken words resonate deep in her memory. How many kids had come through her office saying that exact phrase? How many had she heard on the street, uttering that same phrase? At first, it had been endearing. Now, it was almost a little depressing - the amount of time that a child would spent trying to chase their dream, with a Quirk that was hardly suitable for hero work, was sad. And yet...

This boy... with no Quirk... had her _believing_.

Truly, for at least the moment, she believed his words. His conviction left no room - he'd do what he could in order to be the hero he dreamt of.

"Such strong words, young man. Do you truly believe them?" Nezu asked evenly. Though his tone suggested doubt, there was no mistaking the twinkle in his eye - he was thoroughly convinced, as well.

And to Chiyo's surprise, Izuku's resolve held strong. "Yes! I have to!"

Nezu gave Chiyo a look that didn't need any verbal clarification - she already clearly understood what he was inferring. And, truly, she couldn't mount much of an argument at this point.

Midoriya was many things.

Quirkless. Ambitious. Whimsical. Timid. Even mysterious. Many components of his life suggested that he was suffering from some childhood trauma, eliciting a psychological introverted response to all those stimuli around him. There was no doubt - he'd need therapeutic help if he were to attempt to function as a regular working-class hero. The adversity he'd face would be grand, no matter what limelight he avoided.

But there was some part of Chiyo that _wanted_ this boy to accept the offer she'd initially been hesitant about. Maybe it was the sparkle in his eye, or maybe it was his ambition that he radiated with such determination, either way, he'd struck a chord in the short time she'd been in his presence.

He'd never be able to do what she did. Without a Quirk, sadly, he'd _never _be able to replace her. Even those _with_ healing Quirks couldn't replace her. She was truly one of the most unique healing heroine's of her time, and she knew that.

But if nothing else, he'd be able to accept her teachings, and perhaps, make something for himself that hadn't been there before. And, maybe, just _maybe_, he'd live out a slightly altered version of the heroic vision he'd once had.

"I'd be pleased to have a student like him, ma'am." Chiyo said softly, gazing into Inko's tear-filled eyes.

Truly, she didn't envy the mother's predicament. She'd never had children of her own, so she didn't pretend to know the dilemma the older Midoriya was going through. _However..._

"If you let me take care of him, I promise, I'll watch over him."

_He could realize his dream, if only she let him_.

Inko, with a mighty swallow of her sobs, nodded slowly, a wobbly smile crossing her face. "O-okay... p-please protect him..."

And with that confirmation, Nezu smiled.

"You have our word."

* * *

By the time that Recovery Girl and the Principle of U.A. had left, it was already too late for Izuku to begin his lessons - much to his dismay. The energy he'd felt during their meeting had been like nothing he'd ever experienced! It was as if his whole life had been given some sort of mysterious meaning, and he felt so... alive! It sounded terrible, but he knew that deep down, he hadn't felt this way since he was an eager four-year old, hoping for the development of his Quirk.

Jumping onto his bed, he regretted the transition of thoughts as his spirits fell, recalling those distant memories.

Those days... marked his gradual descent, he'd realized a long time ago. His transition away from his once-friends, and his departure into his lonely lifestyle he now held. It wasn't fair, he'd later bemoan. How was it his fault that he'd be born Quirkless? And how was it his fault that Bakugou would develop such a massive ego and nasty disposition?

When something could go wrong, Izuku often found himself wondering if it had been destined to, because that's truly how it seemed.

Idly, the boy's eyes drifted to his desk, where a large stack of books had been set down. The pile was slightly intimidating, that much, Midoriya would admit. Within it was the _basic _knowledge the medical language, procedures, and guidelines of the many things that he'd be learning during his time under Recovery Girl. It was easily four books deep within, and illustrated on hundreds upon hundreds of pages - and that was only the basics!

Part of the teen wondered what he'd truly agreed to. How was _he_, who knew nothing about medicine, supposed to learn how to be a fully functioning professional in three years?

But then... a smile crossed his face.

Recovery Girl believed in him. Nezu believed in him! That was _two_ people - and two people more than he'd ever had!

He glanced at his All Might themed alarm clock, and grinned. He still had at least two hours before he had to fall asleep for school in the morning. That was two hours he could put toward beginning his studies! Plus, he knew his lessons in school were far from difficult - especially considering he was entering the end of the year; once his finals were over with, he was completely open for the month or-so break he had before entering U.A.'s studies.

There was only one thing that slightly worried him: the physical training. At Nezu's insistence, Izuku would be required to partake in physical training in order to be properly equipped for any field work that he would be subjected to once he entered the U.A. curriculum. And, if the overview was correct - which it probably was - he'd be intertwined with the Support Course and the Hero Course a lot more than he initially anticipated.

And that made his heart gallop.

An _actual_ opportunity to chase his once-forever dream. It was the only thing he'd wanted for as long as he could remember - and now, he was being gifted the opportunity to follow this reality. He knew that Bakugou would probably be far from happy - a thought that caused him to pale slightly. However, he did his best to shake off the thought, ignoring the pang of fear that echoed through his chest as he considered the blonde's rage, and instead, he focused on the deviation of goals.

He was no longer applying for the Hero Course - so, by default, could Bakugou really be that angry?

... he already knew the truth behind that question. Of course he'd be angry - no matter what he did, Bakugou would probably be angry. If he moved away, the explosive teen would be furious. If he stayed, it was only going to infuriate the teen. It was pretty much a lose-lose situation.

Ignoring his feelings, Midoriya leaned over to grab a textbook - pretending his arms didn't quiver under the weight of the thick book - and opened it, doing his best to not become overwhelmed with the medical jargon that lined the pages. The words practically began to float around him, taunting and goading him to close the book. Instead, Midoriya held fast, and slowly began making his way through the first few paragraphs, being sure to keep an empty notebook nearby so that he could begin taking notes.

The rewarding moment that he made it to the basic human anatomy, his eyes lit up, and his pencil began to harshly scribble along a page of notebook, the information beginning to seep from eye to brain, and then brain to hand. It hardly registered that he was beginning to _fly_ through the material. The information stockpile was all too tantalizing to a boy who had finally been granted an opportunity at his dream, albeit, in a make-shift way.

He didn't even realize that by the time he set his pencil down - significantly shorter than when he had first started - the sun was beginning to peak over the horizon.

* * *

_I apologize for the delay! My computer practically exploded, and I've been shit out of luck trying to figure out the solution to that. Finally, I got this PC online and can resume normal-ish functions. Between that and some of my classes, I just lost steam and couldn't really get anywhere._

_A few notes:_

_1) I really apologize for the poor quality of this chapter. And for the drag; I know the beginning is a bit... meh. And with how many stories exist that focus so handily on Midoriya's origin, that they often burn out before getting to the meat of U.A, I feel even worse about the pace. But, please be patient with me, and if you don't like it, that's completely okay! Just, you know, there's no need to light me up for that._

_2) I don't have a Beta-Reader, and with how my schedule is, I don't know if having one would be ideal or not. I can't promise it wouldn't delay everything even further. _

_3) Despite my former disappearance, I don't anticipate disappearing again; perhaps some updates will be a bit delayed, but I think that every week or every other week, I can have a chapter up, unless I get massively bored during classes and begin writing._

_I hope you are all safe and well, best regards!_


	3. The Plunge

The month or so leading into Midoriya's _official_ start at U.A. was a blur to the young teenager. Between the intense physical training, the long hours of locking himself away with his thick stack of books, and his rapidly mounting anxiety, there was little time to admire the flipping of the calendar. Recovery Girl, to her credit, took regular instances to check in on the boy, and was more than happy to clarify any and all questions he had concerning the text he was sucked into. Most of their check-ins were with picture, and despite her age, she proved more than adept at pulling up examples to help guide her newest pupil. And while she didn't admit it out loud, he had already thoroughly impressing her.

She was right when she claimed he was no prodigy of medicine - however, he had an analytical eye like no other. She couldn't help but admire the intricacies of her pupil's notes as they met intermittently; he had no problem categorizing his notes in several clean tabs, and even wrote in quiet questions to himself about the application of certain procedures, as well as the connection between one topic and another. In the time that she had given him to read _all_ the books, she had resigned herself to the fact that it was likely impossible unless he had some sort of intelligence-Quirk; yet, he was putting up a better fight than she'd anticipated.

It was clear he wouldn't nearly complete all the readings, but to make the strides that he had was already enough to accept that he had some sort of potential, after all. Upon that silent admission, she'd snorted, realizing how much like a certain colleague she sounded like.

And for Midoriya, he was determined. He was determined to see his goal lived out. And more than that - he was determined to reward the faith that had been instilled upon him by the principle and the Youthful Heroine.

_'I have to work harder than most... I'm already so far behind - I have to catch up...!'_

When the first day of his new life finally began, Midoriya shot out of bed like a bottle rocket, and had most of his uniform on in record-setting time. He struggled with the tie, taking several attempts to try and tighten the fabric so that it wasn't so... messy at the top - but with each tug of the tongue, the knot at the top ballooned up and became uneven. He sighed, silent resigning himself to be a fashion-disaster.

Still, he knew U.A. was waiting - and he couldn't hesitate any further.

He made his way downstairs, where he grabbed his trusty backpack , tightening the straps snugly as he tossed it over his shoulders. The familiar weight of several of his textbooks gave him a touch of normalcy as his brain wandered onto the reality of where he was going. It still seemed surreal - he was a Quirkless student of U.A. now. One of the finest schools that Japan had to offer! And he, Midoriya Izuku, Quirkless since birth, was accepted.

It almost made him want to shout with glee just like the day he's been 'accepted'.

"Izuku?" The green-haired boy turned to his mother, a smile on his face. She wavered for a moment, hesitating as she looked her once fragile son up and down. In her heart, she felt a rush of emotion - but overwhelming relief dominated all else. Hot tears prickled at the corner of her eyes, and she slowly made her way forward, her hands folded together as she tried to alleviate her worry. "You have all your school stuff? Books? Uniform?"

"Yes!"

"And your scrubs?"

"Yes!"

"And you remember the train you need to take?"

"Yes!"

With that, Inko fell silent, momentarily casting her glance downward. There was so much she wanted to say. She wanted to ask him to say - forever. It was selfish, she knew that. But once he stepped out of their cozy apartment... she knew that he was practically an adult at that point. He was beginning his life - and, while he might not say it, she knew she wasn't all of his life anymore. But he was all she had left.

She wanted to apologize for so long ago, when she'd inadvertently crushed his dreams. She knew that he'd been hurt by her apologies at the time. It was hard to watch her son shatter in front of her as she continued to sob into his shirt, apologizing for his lack of a Quirk, as if she controlled it. She wished she'd said something else. She wished she'd said _anything_ else. But she didn't. And she didn't have the courage to apologize to him; not yet.

But more than anything... she wanted...

"Izuku?"

He turned back to her, not an ounce of annoyance on his young face. The way his freckles were splashed across his cheeks, pulled up by the recently infectious smile he always seemed to have. Maybe it was the trick of the light, but in that moment, it reminded her of Hisashi. More salty tears pooled in her eyes, but she sniffled, and dabbed at her face with the sleeve of her shirt, before offering him a watery smile.

"You look so cool...!"

Momentarily, he lost his smile, and simply stared at her with clear surprise. Then, as quickly as it had vanished, his smile returned, this time edged with determination - a look that, she admitted, looked so foreign on him. She couldn't remember the last time he'd looked so set on something.

"Thanks, mom," he said, before stepping back toward her, where he enveloped her in a hug. She stiffened for a moment, before she wrapped her arms around him, wondering when he had grown up, and where her little boy had went.

It lasted too short for the elder Midoriya, but she relented as he released. "I'm off!"

And when he stepped out the door, she wished that she could turn back time, so that she could have her baby back. But, in the same breath, the pride she felt for him, as he chased his dream, made her glad that she'd allowed him to take the offered opportunity. Even if she was scared, he was scared too. But if he had the confidence to chase it... she had to have the confidence to let him.

Once the door closed, the Midoriya household fell silent - and Inko silently resigned herself to the way her world was changed. But she loved her Izuku - and she'd support him now, when she had once failed.

* * *

For Midoriya, the train trip to U.A. had been mostly uneventful. Which was a blessing, as with each minute he drew closer, he felt his heart-rate rise higher and higher. Having began some introductory reading on some of the psychological disorders and conditions, he was acutely aware that he was on the way to a panic attack, so he began attempting to focus on different tactics to 'ground' himself, as he'd read about.

He felt the buttons on his school jacket, and ran a finger over the buckle on his backpack, he looked at the article on the back of a newspaper that someone was reading on the train, and gazed out the window at the rapidly passing city. He took in the scent of some lady's perfume, marveling at the sweet-smelling floral replication. With each forced deep breath, he felt some of his anxiety ebb away, creeping back to the edges of his mind.

"Hey, kid, I know the jacket... you're a U.A. student, yeah?" Midoriya was drawn out of his pseudo-meditation by an older man's voice from next to him.

"Oh, uh, yeah. It's my first day."

The man grinned at him; he was dressed in casual clothing, and seemed unremarkable in every single way possible - something that Midoriya was all too used to hearing. "That's great! The next generation of heroes, and I'm here talking to one. Do your best, you hear?"

"R-right!"

Finally, after what seemed like a personal eternity, Midoriya's stop came, and he quickly disembarked, his heart lightening as he heard the man's voice call from the train once more. "Good luck, kid!"

It wasn't much - but, somehow, it seemed like just the jolt that he needed to calm his racing nerves. His mother's words had all but encouraged him to take the step out the door; but once he was alone with his thoughts, the unfortunate second-guessing had almost caught up to him. There were tons of doubts swirling in his mind, and he silently resigned that he'd almost let his doubting get in the way of his ambition. It was no secret that he needed to work on his confidence, but he hadn't imagined that his lack of confidence would pop up so frequently.

"Excuse me." Midoriya blinked - surprised by the sudden voice, he spun around, coming face-to-chest with a large man wearing a similar gray uniform. He had several arms, and a fabric that covered his mouth and nose, leaving only his eyes exposed. Upon closer inspection, Midoriya realized that it wasn't a man - it was a student, just like him. "Are you by chance going to U.A.?"

The student spoke through one of his tentacles, the end of the appendage coming akin to a mouth.

"Oh, uh, I am! Midoriya Izuku!" Letting his nerves catch up to him, Midoriya felt the tips of his ears burn at the fumbled introduction. Still, it wasn't his worst introduction, and at least he'd said his name right.

Nodding, the large teenager spoke again. "Nice to meet you, Midoriya. I'm Shoji Mezo; Class 1-A. I was hoping to walk with someone; makes the trip a little less nerve-racking."

Midoriya couldn't find any flaw in that statement, and happily accepted Shoji along with him. The walk from the station to the school wasn't far - it was only a few minutes, but in that time, Midoriya found it relieving to have another person to talk to and get to know, even if his nerves and anxiety popped up frequently enough to stymie what he was trying to say.

"You... you're in the Hero Course, right Shoji?" He hoped he wasn't wrong - his knowledge of U.A. was firm, but there was always the chance that things had changed in the off-summer. After all, despite all of Midoriya's research into their 'medical student position', there had never once been an opening such as that.

The large young man nodded, but remained using his tentacle to speak. Midoriya wondered if he had a functioning mouth under the mask, or if he could only speak through his arms. Then, he began wondering how the physiological changes worked involving the tentacles - after all, in order to function as a working voice, there were four steps in the vocal process: initiation, phonation, oro-nasal process and articulation. He had to have some pathway from the lungs in order to commence the initiation process, or maybe it was all elongated and followed some alternative pathway via tissue restructuring?

It wasn't even his first day yet, and Midoriya already had pulled his notebook out, muttering to himself as he furiously scribbled on the first page he could access. He even made sure to label the page accordingly: _Shoji Mezo_.

"I am," he said simply; he felt bad, but the much larger student couldn't help but peek at the notes, intrigued by the sudden change in demeanor that his potential classmate was showing. "Are you?"

Midoriya paused in his writing, hesitating momentarily, and while Shoji didn't openly display it, he felt a sharp pang of guilt in asking the obviously awkward question. "I'm not; I... I'm, uh, in the Medical Course?"

Shoji nodded. "I see. That would explain your notes."

The greenette blanched; he hadn't noticed Shoji taking a peek. He opened his mouth to apologize to the multi-armed student, however, he was waved off easily. There wasn't an ounce of annoyance or anger on Shoji's (visible) face, which dampened the guilt a touch.

"Don't worry about it - they're bound to be helpful to you. Besides, I suspect that we'll see a bit of each other; I overlooked some of my course classes, and since the Hero Course focuses on treatment of civilians in the field, we'll probably have a joint class at that point."

_Joint class_.

How would a joint class work? Neither the principle nor Recovery Girl had made any reference to other Medical Course students. And, for each time that he'd met up with Recovery Girl, it had been solely him. She wasn't exactly an abundance of patience, either. There were moments that her experience left her a bit riled up, as Midoriya tamely phrased it.

"It seems the crowd has grown."

Sure enough, Midoriya peeked up from his notebook, and saw several more teenagers wearing the same gray uniforms. For many of the upperclassman, they were much more mature-looking, and seemed to fill their uniforms in both physical size and confidence. Some of them, Midoriya faintly recognized from having watched the Sports Festival yearly, though there were subtle differences regarding their look and stature in person. Mutant-based Quirks were also much more common that initially expected, and Midoriya found himself wondering how that would change the approach toward medicine he'd been given.

One thing that had stood out upon his sole month of studying was that the formula for application had changed immensely since the time before Quirks. Whereas it used to take four years of medical school in order to retain and apply a majority of knowledge, plus clinical rotations to catch outlying cases, medicine had evolved in such a way that it was almost 'cleaned up', in comparison to the old methods. New medications, new diagnostic techniques, and of course, Quirks, made the field of medicine stronger and more efficient than it had ever been. Studying it still took dedication, especially since knowledge and application were two sides of the coin, but the time it took to fully immerse oneself into the field was not what it had once been.

"Yeah..." Midoriya mumbled. A sense of his self-loathing came back, and before he could even realize what was happening, it began.

Could he compare to all these students? Was there really something special enough about him to bypass the incredible talent that all of these _hand-picked_ students had? He was Quirkless - essentially akin to disabled, according to some of society's viewpoint. To be able to do _anything_ compared to the incredible intellect, strength, and overall uniqueness that this crowd possessed...

It made Midoriya freeze up.

_'What am I...?'_

"Midoriya?"

Slowly, the green-haired medical student looked up to meet Shoji's steady gaze. There were a few emotions that were swirling within the bigger teen's eyes, but concern was the most obvious. There was a silence between the two. After a moment, Midoriya peered away, barely able to maintain the eye-contact for more than a few seconds. "...We should be heading inside. You coming?"

It took all of Midoriya's willpower to refrain from saying the words on his tongue.

_I don't belong here._

So instead, he nodded weakly, and offered a flimsy smile that convinced neither party. Yet, neither spoke about it, so they walked forward toward the U.A. gates, each one with a few dozen questions hovering in the minds.

There were several different conversations that went on around the two freshman, now walking in silence. The topics were scattered, and ranged from inquiries about homeroom classes and teachers, to suspected theories about the coursework of the upcoming semester. Some even whispered about new faculty being added specifically for the Hero Course, which Midoriya saw pique Shoji's interest at one point. Otherwise, a majority of the conversations were simple, more private ones, of which Midoriya had little interest to eavesdrop unto.

A soft breeze had descended upon the incoming students, showering them in a pleasant temperature - the perfect introduction to a new academic year. Midoriya took a moment to peek over and through the gates that surrounded U.A. as they approached the sidewalk that would lead them to the front. Some of the mock cities could be seen from the gates in the far distance, and several dirt training grounds could be seen, each prepared for a semester of use. Faintly, Midoriya wondered if he'd ever be asked to use one for himself.

Truthfully, he still had little expectation for what he was going to be doing. He assumed that he'd still be required to maintain a weight-training regime, in light of the fact that he was still several kilograms from his desired weight, according to his workout logs. He'd begun to tone up, but in only one month, there was a definite limit to what could be done.

"WELCOME FIRST-YEARS!" A booming voice echoed from inside the school's courtyard - a voice that Midoriya readily recognized. He perked up, a smile adorning his face as he instantly recalled the meeting he'd had in the auditorium prior to the Hero Exam. "PLEASE PROCEED INTO THE SCHOOL TOWARD YOUR HOMEROOM CLASSES! IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, DON'T HESITATE TO ASK!"

"Present Mic!" Midoriya exclaimed, all thoughts of comparison abandoning his mind for the moment. Shoji seemed surprised by the sudden change in attitude, but also seemed relieved, as he nodded mutely. "I totally forgot that we'd be learning _every_ subject from pro heroes...! I wonder what Ectoplasm is going to be teaching? His Quirk doesn't really seem suitable for a particular subject, unless he studied abroad for a period of time... then maybe he'd teacher English? OH, wait, that would seem like Present Mic's specialty - he regularly does English segments on his talk show! Wait, then what about Snipe, I heard he was tea-"

"Midoriya."

Once again, Midoriya realized he'd been caught mid-ramble, and felt another burn of embarrassment speckle his face. "S-sorry... I, ah, got excited..."

"No worries; I wanted to wish you good luck." Midoriya blinked. Then, he realized that in his rambling, he'd ignored the fact that they'd entered the gates of U.A., and were approaching the division mark of students. "The Hero Course takes me to the left - in that crowd, we might get separated. So, I wanted to wish you luck this semester, just in case we don't see each other for a bit."

"O... oh. Y-yeah! Um, thank you! And, well, good luck to you, too!" Midoriya said eagerly, trying to muster up as much confidence as he could manage. And while he knew it wasn't much, it still seemed to do the trick, as Shoji's eyes softened, and a mouth formed on the ends of one of his tentacles.

He offered a multi-handed thumb's up, and spoke confidently. "Thanks - we'll have to catch up. Take it easy."

And with such a simple good-bye, Shoji jointed the throng of students that walked toward the left; his size kept him visible for a good while, but once some other Mutant-type Quirked students walked into the crowd, Midoriya lost sight of his first companion from U.A., and felt a small pang of sadness. While they hadn't bonded much, it was nice to know that there were some U.A. students that were nice - unlike the few he'd met during the Entrance Exam.

He shivered, thinking back on the blue-haired stern kid he'd been scolded by.

'_Imagine being in a class with both him and Kacchan...'_

Involuntarily, he shivered again.

"Okay...! Time to find Recovery Girl's office..."

Midoriya began looking left and right, before he realized one critical detail.

_'I DON'T KNOW WHERE HER OFFICE IS...!'_

"Hey there, first-year!" A strong hand landed on Midoriya's shoulder, nearly knocking him to the ground. He turned quickly to find a tall blond-haired young man next to him, offering him a million watt grin. "If you're looking for Recovery Girl's office, that'll be on the third-floor, and the fourth door down - it's the only room for a bit after that, so don't worry about missing it. Plus, it's pretty well decorated!"

"T-tha... wait, how did you know -"

"You said it aloud! I promise, I was not eavesdropping!" The blond-haired kid laughed heartily, temporarily gaining a few looks from passing students, though the looks passed as fast as they came. "You should head there fast, so you're not late to homeroom! And, fair warning, Recovery Girl isn't a fan of regulars!"

"I'll... keep that in mind," Midoriya responded. Then, without warning, the large teen pushed Midoriya into the crowd, with a strong guiding shove, giving him a friendly wave as the poor greenette was pushed along by the hustle and bustle of the student body, all of which ignoring Midoriya's pained protests.

It took some effort, but after being pulled along by several students, Midoriya finally managed to break free from the wall of bodies, taking several deep lungfuls of air as he recovered his composure and energy. He adjusted his uniform, his hands purposefully ignoring the mess of a tie he wore, and settled for whatever look he now possessed.

His gaze began swimming over the interior of the school, drinking in the mass of lockers, doors, and casual conversations between students. Most of the teenagers hanging out in the hallways were likely upperclassman - at least second or third-year students, Midoriya surmised. A majority of the first-years likely didn't know each other, seeing the acceptance rate was skewered in a way that suggested it was incredibly hard to have a group of friends all pass together. Besides that, there weren't many conversations ongoing during the lining up for the Entrance Exam, nor was there much talk prior to Present Mic's arrival in the auditorium. At that point, it was a dog-eat-dog environment. It was hardly the place where anyone would be making friends.

And yet...

Midoriya's mind wandered toward the memory he had with a brown-haired girl. It was only because of her involvement that he hadn't fallen after tripping; had she passed? He hadn't heard from her, and he didn't remember her name. So far, with so many students, he knew finding her was nigh impossible. Plus... he winced slightly. There was no lying about the brutal acceptance rate. While she was clearly a nice girl, that was of no meaning to the exam itself. Odds were not in his favor of meeting her again.

Pushing off the thoughts, Midoriya began looking around some more, taking in more of the scenery. Some of the doors leading to classrooms were immensely large in size, leading Midoriya to wonder what type of student needed a door-frame that large. He shook off his wonder for a brief moment so that he could locate the stairs. Thankfully, it only took a few seconds of searching before he caught sight of a large staircase, in which he began heading toward. The herd of students thinned out significantly upon heading up one flight of stairs, and was even thinner upon his second trek.

In fact, there were barely any students on the third floor - it seemed dominated by offices. He took a moment to read some of the labels to each room, finding that they were, for the moment, unused conference rooms. Moving forward was easy - the hallway only had one side of rooms, with the other overlooking the grassy courtyard and school grounds of U.A. The moment he took to gaze upon the grounds below, allowed Midoriya to truly take in the environment he had finally entered. After a lifetime of staring at pictures, and dreaming of the day, he was now _in_ the school, breathlessness at the sheer size of the campus from above. He couldn't see anything behind where he'd entered, and even though he wasn't high up, he could see more students pouring into the school, with several news crew trucks lining up outside the gate - presumably to introduce the new academic year for a short news segment.

"Impressed, young man?"

For the fourth time since leaving his humble apartment, Midoriya's head snapped to the side; this time, though, he recognized the voice, and smiled easily as his eyes came to rest on his teacher for the next three years.

"Recovery Girl, good morning!"

She smiled softly at the boy, her elderly charm bringing a warm feeling to Midoriya's already frazzled nerves. "Good morning; you look a bit worked up, would you care for tea before our morning starts?"

"I..." While he wanted to kick off the year, and get right into how U.A. would be working, he couldn't ignore the temptation of good tea. "Y-yes, please!"

Besides, the day was still young. How much would he really have to do on his first day?

* * *

_Things are getting going! Still feel a bit off about the chapters - I don't know if I'm being unnecessarily hard on myself or not, but I don't feel like I'm doing my best work yet. I guess I'll just keep working on it? _

_Anyways, not much else to say. Stay safe, best regards all - and thank you for giving my story a read!_


End file.
